Thursday, 27 March 2014

Stealth
Symphony seems to follow a pattern a chapter of showcasing a quirky character
followed by another which spews exposition. As we are on an odd number the
latter is the case for this chapter. To the series credit it has a legitimately
interesting cast. That being said it goes up and down like a yo-yo when pacing
is involved ranging from slow to glacial every other chapter.

The art
is well done and the twist at chapter 5’s end hopefully shakes up what is quickly
becoming a tedious pattern. The rocky note the series is starting on is also
bringing into question how long it will last in a magazine that cancels series
quite frequently. Again to the Stealth Symphony’s credit the characters
profiled are legitimately intriguing and the direction the series will go in
the future is a mystery but whether the latter is due to great writing or the
author themselves not knowing is up in the air.

As of chapter 4 the series
continues to falter in everything but the artwork. The plot is moving at a
glacial pace and the series as a whole feels more and more awkward with each
passing chapter. The promise at the end of a chapter of what I presume to be a
cat girl leaves me less optimistic about future chapters. The series also has one other major problem:
it’s heavy on exposition.

Instead of actually having the artwork show
the world we get very text heavy pages which disrupt the flow. This is a shame
because it seems to be an interesting enough world to explore. Again, to the
series’ credit the characters other than the protagonist are intriguing but the
series has some serious ironing out to do if it wishes to live up to its
potential.

Saturday, 15 March 2014

Chapters 2 and 3 of Stealth Symphony are different as
night and day in terms of quality. While chapter 2 is bogged down by swathes of
exposition chapter 3 focuses on the infinitely more interesting supporting cast
and has a bit of action. That being said, at this point the series is still mostly
relying on what it could potentially become. It sort of feels like the series
is meandering a bit by the third chapter and that’s does not often bode well
for a series.

The
promise of new characters in the third chapter’s final moments potentially
stirring things up could stir up what has been by and large a stale series thus
far and the glint of action is enough for the time being at least. The series
shows more promise in its third chapter than it did in its first two. That
being said, it has been kind of a mixed bag. All there is to do now is wait and
hope it further improves.

Friday, 7 March 2014

When Yamato moves to Tokyo he
finds himself living in his aunt’s apartment complex. He soon meets a girl
named Suzuka and a girl he met once as a child named Honoka. Naturally romance
is in the air!

Suzuka is if nothing else a
decent romance thus far that being said it has little else going for it. The
voice acting is subpar especially for the male lead at least in the English dub.
Most of the series problems stem from the main character, Yamato, who just
really does little more than serve as the audience`s insert character. To be
fair at least a few member of the rest of the cast are far more interesting.

Outside of the ending credits
there`s really nothing interesting going on visually. The lack of fan service
for the most part is certainly a plus though. The series other main problem
aside from the male lead is that it seems to squarely focus on the romance which
would be fine except Yamato has the personality of a wall and thus the romance
alone cannot carry the series. In conclusion, Suzuka is very much a middle of
the road type of show. If pure romances with Gary-Stu self-insert characters is
your cup of tea this might be the series for you. If not, you might want to
search elsewhere for your entertainment.

Upcoming
Releases Include Debuts Of ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, JACO THE GALACTIC
PATROLMAN, RESIDENT EVIL And ONE PIECE BOX SET 2

San Francisco, CA, March
4, 2014 –
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of
manga and anime in North America, announces the acquisition of several thrilling
new manga (graphic novel) titles that are scheduled for release beginning in Fall
2014 from the company’s popular Shonen Jump and VIZ Signature imprints.

Fans will want to catch the manga volumes collected
in ONE PIECE BOX SET 2 in November, followed by the launch of the alien-in-the-homeroom
action comedy ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM in December. Manga master Akira Toriyama,
widely known for creating DRAGON BALL, will have the North American release of
his newest work, JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN, in January 2015. The VIZ
Signature imprint will also thrill gaming and horror fans with the launch in
November of a tie-in manga series taking place in the world of the smash hit
RESIDENT EVIL video game.

“Manga fans will have an action-packed array
of new titles from our Shonen Jump and VIZ Signature imprints to look forward
to this winter,” says Leyla Aker, Vice President, Publishing. “There will be
plenty to captivate readers, from the crazy carnival ride of
ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, to the debut of Akira Toriyama’s DRAGON BALL tie-in
JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN, to high-seas adventure in the new ONE PIECE BOX
SET 2 and zombie attacks in RESIDENT EVIL.”

ASSASINATION CLASSROOM and JACO THE GALACTIC
PATROLMAN will debut in print and also digitally on VIZManga.com
and the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and
iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones. They will also be
available on the NOOK, Kindle Fire, and Kobo ereaders, as well as in the iBooks
and GooglePlay Stores

New Shonen Jump Manga Titles

ONE PIECE BOX SET 2: SKYPEIA AND WATER 7 · Rated ‘T’ For Teens ·

MSRP:
$185.99 U.S. / $185.99 CAN ·
Available November 2014

Catch
all the high seas pirate adventure in the second
premium manga box set of ONE
PIECE, one of the most beloved and bestselling manga series of all
time!The new set includes Volumes 24-46, which comprise the third and
fourth story arcs of the series, Skypiea and Water Seven. Also included are the
"Strong World" mini-comic and a full-color double-sided
poster.

ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM · Rated ‘T+’ For Older
Teens ·

MSRP:
$9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN ·
Print & Digital Available December 2014

A humorous and action-packed story about a class of misfits who
are trying to kill their new teacher – an alien octopus with bizarre powers and
super strength! The teacher has just destroyed the moon and is threatening to
destroy the earth – unless his students can destroy him first. What makes
things more complicated is that he's the best teacher they've ever had! The bimonthly
ongoing series will also be available digitally.

JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN · Rated ‘T+’ For Older
Teens ·

MSRP:
$9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN ·
Print & Digital Available January 2015

Akira Toriyama, manga legend and
creator of DRAGON BALL and DRAGON BALL Z, is back with the quirky comedy JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN!
Retired scientist Omori lives alone on a deserted island while continuing his
research into time-travel. His quiet life is interrupted when galactic
patrolman Jaco crash-lands and decided to move in with him. Can Jaco get along
with the old man long enough to save the earth from a dangerous threat? The
debut volume features new, bonus DRAGON BALL Z
content related to the parents of Goku, the hero of the best-selling manga.

New
VIZ Signature Manga Titles

RESIDENT EVIL · Rated ‘M’ For Mature
Audiences ·

MSRP:
$12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN ·
Available in Print November 2014

The highly virulent C-virus became a
global disaster, but where did the outbreak start? In this five-volume manga prequel
to the hit Resident Evil 6 game with story and art by Naoki
Serizawa, the terrifying origins are revealed. At the prestigious and elite
Marhawa High School in Singapore, a female student suffers a horrifying
transformation. Called in to investigate, Professor Doug Wright and his nephew
Ricky find themselves caught up in a deadly and growing tragedy. As things get
rapidly out of hand, Chris Redfield and his team from the Bioterrorism Security
Assessment Alliance arrive on the scene, while behind it all a mysterious
figure looms.

For
more information on these or other manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media,
LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes,
markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.
Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc.,
Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has
the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in
North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular
digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like
NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and
family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans
of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs,
animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and
a variety of consumer products.